In this article, we are going to continue discussing Spanish direct and indirect object pronouns. Among the many challenges that learners face, understanding the usage of lo or la vs le stands crucial. While these pronouns might seem simple at first, using them correctly requires knowledge of context and grammar rules. It is important to understand the nuances of lo or la vs le in Spanish, so that you don’t confuse them.

Lo or La vs Le in Spanish

Lo or la vs le are pronouns in Spanish that can be confusing. This guide will help you understand the differences between lo or la vs le, and how these pronouns are used in different contexts. By learning about them, you can improve your Spanish communication skills and appreciate the language even more.

Spanish Pronouns Lo and La

Take a look at the chart below, which shows when lo and la is used in Spanish.

MasculineFeminine
Singularlola

Lo and la are direct object pronouns in Spanish. They replace a noun or phrase in singular. You should pay special attention to the gender, since lo only refers to a masculine noun and la refers to a feminine noun. See and compare the following sentences.

Yo preparo el zumo. Ellos lo beben.

I make the juice. They drink it

Yo preparo la limonada. Ellos la beben.

I make the lemonade. They drink it

Mi amigo pierde su móvil. Su novia lo encuentra.

My friend loses his cell phone. His girlfriend finds it.

El cartero pierde la postal y yo no la recibo.

The postman loses the postcard. I don’t receive it.

Este plato está roto. No lo pongo en la mesa.

This plate is broken. I don’t put it on the table.

La perra está enfermo. No la saco a pasear.

The dog is sick. I don’t take it for a walk.

Rosa no estudia y no está preparada para el examen. No lo quiere hacer.

Rosa doesn’t study, and she’s not well prepared for the test. She doesn’t want to take it.

¿Cómo haces esta tarta? No la puedo hacer. ¿Me puedes dar la receta?

How do you do this cake? I can’t do it. Can you give me the recipe?

Spanish Pronouns Los and Las

The direct object pronoun when referring to them should also agree in gender and number with the noun it is replacing.

MasculineFeminine
Pluralloslas

Yo escribo los ejercicios. Tú los corriges.

I write the exercises. You correct them.

Yo escribo las frases. Tú las corriges.

I write the sentences. You correct them.

Él come los fideos fríos. Yo los caliento.

He eats the noodles cold. I heat them.

Mi hija memoriza canciones y las canta.

My daughter memorizes songs and sings them.

Mis vecinos están nerviosos. No los quiero ver así.

My neighbors are nervous. I do not want to see them like that.

En agosto las playas están llenas. Las disfrutamos más en julio.

Beaches are full in August. We enjoy them more in July.

Mi madre hace varios postres y nosotros los comemos después de cenar.

My mom makes several desserts, and we eat them after dinner.

Veo las noticias por la noche, pero esta noche no las veo porque mis amigos me visitan.

I watch the news at night, but tonight I don’t watch it because my friends are visiting me.

Spanish Pronoun Le

The main difference between lo or la vs le is that le is an indirect object pronoun, whereas the first two (lo, la) are direct object pronouns in Spanish.

Masculine or Feminine
Singularle

The indirect pronoun indicates to whom or for whom something is done. It is important to point out that in Spanish you can use the indirect pronoun together with the indirect phrase in the same sentence. Let’s see some sentences where both the pronoun and phrase appears.

Le di el regalo a Juan.

I gave the gift to Juan.

Le di el regalo.

I gave the gift to him.

Le presté mi libro a María.

I lent my book to María.

Le escribí una carta a mi novia.

I wrote a letter to my girlfriend.

Mañana le contaré la historia a mi hermana.

Tomorrow I will tell the story to my sister.

Julián y yo le escribimos una tarjeta a mi tía.

Julián and I wrote a card to my aunt.

El médico le recetó medicamentos al paciente.

The doctor prescribed medication to the patient.

Le preparamos un pastel a la abuela por su cumpleaños.

We made a cake for Grandma for her birthday.

Spanish Pronoun Les

Le refers to him or to her. Now we are going to see examples with the pronoun les, which refers to them.

Masculine or Feminine
Pluralles

Les cociné la cena a mis padres.

I cooked dinner for my parents.

Les cociné la cena.

I cooked dinner.

Les compré unos dulces a mis sobrinos.

I bought some candy for my nephews.

Les recomendé el restaurante a mis amigos.

I recommended the restaurant to my friends.

El profesor les explicó la lección a los estudiantes.

The teacher explained the lesson to the students.

Les regalé unos libros a mis compañeros de trabajo.

I gave some books to my co-workers.

Les envié las invitaciones a mis primos para la fiesta.

I sent my cousins the invitations for the party.

Vosotras les estáis preparando una sorpresa a Luis y María.

You are preparing a surprise for Luis and María.

Lo vs Le in Spanish

In Spanish, it is very common to use le or les as direct object pronouns only if you are referring to male people. Only in this case, you can use them instead of lo and los. In the rest of situations, le or les are always indirect object pronoun.

Tú no ves a Carlos. No lo ves.

Tú no ves a Carlos. No le ves.

You don’t see Carlos. You don’t see him.

Yo no escucho a mis amigos. No los escucho.

Yo no escucho a mis amigos. No les escucho.

I don’t listen to my friends. I don’t listen to them.

Exercises

Let’s do some exercises to practice lo or la vs le in Spanish.

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Categorized in:

PronounsGrammar